NGA evolves mission to next phase of intelligence: ImmersionDirections MagazineIn her keynote address at the GEOINT Symposium, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director Letitia Long continued to refine and define her vision for the preeminent government geospatial technology agency. It's a vision that began in 2010 with identifying the needs of the warfighter when the U.S. was still engaged in two wars and pushing geospatial information to them with a drive for mobile applications.

Why is mapping for climate action, resilience and adaptation a game changer for the geospatial industry?Sensors & SystemsThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released their latest report, warning that delaying action will raise risks and impact economies. This mission to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to ensure stability means that global participation will be necessary. The path to a cleaner and more sustainable world will require greater monitoring and measurable action, and the geospatial toolset is poised to make major contributions.

Dumb and dumber, thanks to GPSDirections MagazineWhat do a commuter taking a detour on the way to work and a youngster fashioning a bird out of a sheet of brightly colored paper have in common? They're both depending on spatial cognition to complete a task.

Geospatial strategies for insight from big dataSensors & SystemsSensing technologies are producing unprecedented amounts of data about the environment and the digital world. The current question is: how can we gain true insight from all the available measurements?

Google Earth engine brings big data to environmental activismIEEE Spectrum When a tree falls in the forest these days, it doesn't just make a sound — it causes a computer program to generate an alert that's sent out to activists, researchers, and environmental policymakers around the planet. An online tool to map deforestation is applying big-data processing techniques to massive troves of satellite imagery, and in the process it is making possible a new kind of environmental activism.

GLONASS loses control againGPS WorldThe GLONASS constellation has suffered a major problem for the second time this month. On Monday, April 14, eight GLONASS satellites were simultaneously set unhealthy for about half an hour, meaning that most GLONASS or multi-constellation receivers would have ignored those satellites in positioning computations. In addition, one other satellite in the fleet was out of commission undergoing maintenance.

Batty: Another great state of the map conferenceDirections MagazineBy Peter Batty: I spent the past weekend in Washington, D.C., for State of the Map U.S., the OpenStreetMap conference. It ended up selling out, with around 500 attendees, making it the largest OpenStreetMap event yet. As with previous SotM events I've attended (the last one being in Denver in 2011), I found it very enjoyable and interesting, and there was great energy about it as always, much more than at traditional GIS events.

Hexagon's acquisition of Veripos: Why did this go down?GPS WorldFrom a weather perspective, Aberdeen, Scotland, may not be the most inviting location in the world in which to live. Nevertheless, Aberdeen is the leading European oil & gas business hub and is one of eight "super cities" spearheading the U.K.'s economy. But it's waaaaay up north of the border with England on the east coast of Scotland — winter conditions can be difficult, even inhospitable at times.